What I miss about France after moving back to UK

Despite moving back to the UK over a year ago, I am still asked at least once a week if I miss France. The truth is yes, I do. But not all of it. 

Space

As I write this, I am looking out over a garden that could generously be described as ‘postage-stamp’ in size. 

Having moved from a home so large it had its own piece of woodland, it is rather galling. However, with property prices so much higher in the UK we had to make a choice between house size or garden, and house won out. We also have an enormous mortgage.

Then again, the house that we bought is more likely to increase in value than properties on the other side of the Channel. 

This makes any expenditure on fixtures and fittings seem more worthwhile than they did before, as they are likely to add value if we ever sell.

Sunshine

The weather, too, is not as clement in the UK. Admittedly, we lived in Limousin, so were not treated to a near-tropical climate, by any means. 

Still, the springs started earlier and summers often did not give up the ghost until the end of October. 

Here, we have been enduring winter weather since mid-September and I cannot see it letting up until at least March. 

That said, where we live is less rural, so there is more infrastructure, life and an abundance of bright lights to drive away the gloom.

Availability of things

One thing I am enjoying in England is being able to easily get what I want, when I want. Shops never seem to close, and there are more facilities here than in our former, more rural location. 

If we run out of teabags, it is not a case of lasting until the next day or driving 40km to a store that is open past 19:00.

However, abundance is not always my friend. Availability of ‘stuff’ means that my bank balance has taken more of a battering than it would have had we stayed put. 

Plus, knowing that I can always pop to the local supermarket means I am less diligent when planning: I am often back at the supermarket for a forgotten item come 20:00. Hardly living the dream.

Santé

French healthcare is amazing, and as expected France’s health system trumps the poor, downtrodden NHS in many ways. 

However, it is not all bad news. Despite misgivings, I have found the NHS in much better shape than the headlines led me to expect. 

And while waiting lists are definitely a ‘thing’, when we had an emergency everything worked as it should. Plus, no need for top-up insurance.

I also secretly enjoy the fact that the NHS seems to treat me as if I am completely incompetent. 

If I have an appointment, I get text messages and emails to remind me of its approach, making sure I cannot possibly forget. Yes, it’s coddling, but I don’t mind that from time to time.

Systems

Another institution that seems to expect much less of me over here? The tax authority. 

When running my own business in France, I struggled to keep abreast of changing regulations and the various bodies I had to register with. 

I always felt – despite my best efforts – that I was probably getting something wrong. 

In comparison, HMRC seems to expect very little of me other than a report of what I have earned once a year. My hours spent stressing over forms and figures have been halved.

Communication

While in France, I learned to slow down. I did not get too annoyed when someone held me up by stopping their car in the street to chat to a friend. I learned to say a cheery bonjour to everyone I passed. 

The pace here is definitely different, and people are far more impatient as a whole.

However, I have brought a little ‘France’ back with me. These days, I always take a moment to say hello to people I pass when walking my son to school (some even respond). I chat to the cashier in the supermarket. 

I have learned to value taking a little more time out for lunch and practising self-care. And, to my embarrassment, I still have a tendency to cry out an ooh la la! when shocked.

When you have lived in different countries, you will always carry a bit of each with you. There will always be things you miss from your previous life and things you value about where you live now. 

The truth is, I will always miss France; but I miss the UK too when I’m not there. Hopefully, in many ways, I can hold on to the best of both.